Make A Wish
by LoneStorm
Summary: 4. How the guild learned that you should never let Natsu and Lucy get too bored-The official tale of "Why Kool-Aid was Banned from Fairy Tail Bathrooms." For shippersaurus' birthday. The Keys of Fire AU Oneshot Collection.
1. Make A Wish

"You are doin' great, but you just gotta move faster," Natsu sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he paced slightly. "If your opponent gets the chance to hit you under the leg, it's gonna trip you up bad and you're a goner."

Lucy breathed out slowly through her mouth. They'd been working on this one move for nearly an hour, and Natsu was not yet satisfied with the progress. While he was encouraging, that didn't mean his expectations weren't high. Not to mention, the Grand Ninjitsu Games were drawing scarily close. "Alright… I guess I just need to stretch more."

"Maybe. Okay, give it another try - I'll focus more on your extension…"

Evening her breathes with her motions, did the movement again, kicking high above so that her food could hit the head of a tall opponent-

"No, nonono," Natsu interrupted, marching forward. "Don't twist your foot like that - you'll sprain it. Try stretching upward again and keeping your balance. Then we'll speed it up again."

"Okay," she muttered. Slowly, she lifted her leg upwards to stretch by her side and-

"Get used to pointing it forward," came Natsu's voice from behind her, and she let out a small shriek when he placed his hand under her thigh to turn it. It was warm and tingly and _so not okay_.

On pure reflex, she shoved backwards with her elbow, hitting him square between the eyes. With a dog-like yelp, he stumbled backwards, clutching his face. "OW! What the blazing hell, Lucy!"

"You do _not_ touch girls there!" she screeched, fists at the ready and cheeks blossoming with heat. "It is an inappropriate, sensitive area!"

"You have clothes over it - why can't I touch it?!"

"Because it's inappropriate!" Lucy snapped.

Hands on his hips, Natsu scoffed, "I was just showing you how to move your leg!"

"You could've done that without touching it!"

"Yeah, well, maybe you're a hands-on learner or somethin'!"

"In this situation, it sounds _very_ wrong when you say it like that."

He only groaned. "Sometimes you make no sense, Lucy."

"Okay, we're done with training for today," Lucy demanded, glaring pointedly and stripping off the Gi over her sports bra and shorts. "I'm giving you a lesson on proper touching."

After hurried showers, they were in the usual spot of Lucy's bed, sketchbook out as she sat in his lap. She settled back into him and his Fleetwood Mac tank top comfortable with his arms hugging around her bare waist. "Okay, draw the body outline of a girl. I'm going to color-code it for you."

"This is stupid."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion. Draw it."

Grumbling darkly, it only took him moments to trace the outline of a woman with the pencil she'd given him. She was prepared to criticize unrealistic size, but she was pleasantly surprised when he drew the true, average woman's body shape.

"Good. Now I'll make a key. Blue is where your body can touch when giving hugs or friendly cuddling. Yellow is where you can touch with your hands if a girl isn't squeamish about personal space. That'll overlap. Red is no touching with hands _ever._ "

"What about touching with my feet?"

"Shut up, Natsu."

Soon, she'd colored in most of the upper body with the blue, the arms, shoulders, waist, and head with the yellow, and everywhere else was red.

"This is dumb," he stated yet again as he eyed her beautiful diagram. "I've kicked girls in all those places when sparring."

"That's different. Wait, you've kicked a girl in the boob? That's _cruel_."

"She was asking for it! She thought a thirteen-year-old couldn't beat her. But I found out that a girl's boobs were their weakness."

"It doesn't matter how evil the girl is," chided Lucy, turning the sketchbook to a blank page. "It is always the most evil move to kick them in the boob."

"Okay, Lucy."

Absently reaching up to ruffle his hair, she put a pencil to his hand again. "Will you show me how you draw a dragon?"

"Sure, Lucy."

After he gave her a little ruffle of the hair in response, he began to sketch and fluidly, tightening his other hand around her waist.

Watching his hand move gently across the page was almost mesmerizing, separate shapes somehow forming themselves into a magnificent creature…

Probably due to training exhaustion, Lucy soon found herself lightly shaken awake, having fallen asleep back against his scarf. "Hey, I'm done. And look! I drew you one you can color in!"

Groggily blinking her eyes awake, she squinted down to see a roaring, detailed dragon, and a little cartoon one on the next page. She let out a weak giggle. "Hmm… I think I'll make him pink."

He wordlessly passed her the colored pencil, and they began to color in their respective dragons.

Lucy sighed, smiling at the feeling of his heart beating against her back. It was quiet moments like these in which she fully understood just how much she was in love with him. And just how much she wished she could just stay here and feel his chin down on her shoulder to see his drawing better, hear him hum as he colored with red, relax at the light circles he was tracing in her waist with his thumb-

"Lucy, this poem is totally ridiculous - can you tell me what it means- oh."

Gray had wandered in, not knocking, _of course_. They both froze in mid draw, watching Gray blink several times.

"Ah, I'm sorry." He was slowly growing this large, sly grin. "Am I… _interrupting something?_ "

"Gray," Natsu said in a warning tone, but he only waved them off.

"Really didn't mean to barge in on ya - please continue to make out. I'll be out here- AGH!"

Lucy, having had enough, pounced, tackling him and shouting at him to shut up. With a strangled kind of shriek, Gray raced down the stairs, followed closely by Lucy, brandishing her whip and cussing him out to high heaven.

* * *

Natsu stood, grinning, up to the banister, watching Gray bolt across the hall being chased by his partner. While he stood there, Warren slowed to a stop beside him, raising his eyebrows at the scene below. "I think you're a terrible influence on that girl, Natsu."

"She's amazing," Natsu sighed, setting his elbows against the rail and gazing downward.

"She is a nice girl," Warren admitted, "but you're rubbing off on her."

"I'm gonna marry that girl."

"Okay, Natsu. Okay."

"I think we'd make cute babies. Do you think we'd make cute babies?"

"That was too much information. I'll be downstairs bleaching my brain."

"Have fun."

"Yeah, I know you will," Warren scoffed, quickly striding away.

* * *

The two dragons they'd created in the afternoon hung above Lucy's bed as she read him a bedtime story. Levy was already fast asleep on the other mattress, Lucy laying down and facing him as she read from the desk light.

" _He ran forward and… and…_ " Lucy yawned, causing Natsu to raise a hand and close the book.

"You're tired," he stated, pulling the blanket further up over them. "I think that's good for tonight. Sleep?"

Nodding slowly, she snuggled more into her pillow, wondering if he was going to go back down onto the beanbags or…

But no, he scooted closer and fell into a rather fast sleep with his forehead against hers. She rolled her eyes, but she wasn't about to push him off, so she sighed and tried to make the most of it, closing her own eyes while tentatively lacing her fingers with his.

* * *

"-you think we should leave them?"

"Nah, Lucy would want to see…"

Lucy's mind swam back into consciousness when she heard the voices around her bed. Her eyes didn't want to open yet, but she listened.

"But they're so cute! I'm gonna take a picture." Mira?

"Are you all unconcerned as to whether or not they're wearing clothing?" That was Gray.

"I think they are… OH MY GOSH DO YOU THINK THEY-" Maybe Warren?

"Shhh, you'll wake them before my picture!" Surely Mira again.

"Nah, they didn't do the do. I'd be able to tell." The deep voice of Laxus.

"Yeah, he's right." Definitely Gajeel. "And Salamander and Bunny Girl aren't the type to do it before marriage."

"How could you possibly be sure?" asked Gray's voice incredulously.

"The nose always knows," Laxus said simply, and Lucy heard a chorus of 'eww!'s erupt about the room.

"C'mon, guys, we should probably just get them up already - we don't want Erza to see them like this, and I wanna get to the roof already!" Levy's voice.

The full meaning of their conversation hadn't hit Lucy until her mind had started to more fully function, and she bolted up in her bed, gasping for breath and stumbling to get herself away from one of the most embarrassing situations yet.

There were giggles as Mira steadied Lucy by the shoulders. "Heeey Lucy. Sorry to be a cockblock, but it's a special night!"

"Sh-shut up!" Lucy squeaked, hugging herself in her nightgown. "It's not like that!"

With a tired moan, Natsu rose to a sitting position in the bed, stretching his arms. "Oh yeah… I forgot that was tonight."

"What's…" she yawned, squinting around at the mass of guildmates crowded in her dorm room. "What's tonight?"

"You'll see." Taking her hand, and tugging, Natsu urged, "C'mon! To the roof!"

Whispers passing around excitedly, the members surged up the stairs until they reached the top, tripping with drowsyness. Crowding around the stairs to the rooftop, they climbed up one by one, several carrying blankets and pillows, including Natsu.

When Lucy reached the top, she gasped, staring upward. Every star in the sky must've been visible, spanning the great dome and sprinkling the heavens with a healthy glow. All the lights of Magnolia had been turned off, reducing the light pollution to zero.

"Meteor shower," Natsu whispered in her ear. "The mayor asked for a stargazing night."

She could only gaze upward, speechless, as he pulled her over to a secluded spot in the corner where he laid the quilt and pillows, literally pushing her to sit down. Happy, crawling out from who-knows-where, curled up between them. The other guild members picked spots, speaking very softly.

"Lucy?" came a small voice a few feet away. "Can you show us the constellations?"

It was Wendy, sitting with Charle, Levy, and Gajeel on a nearby blanket. Smiling gently, Lucy said, "Of course."

Soon, all of her friends were gathered around, listening and watching avidly as she pointed out the stars and told their stories, starting with the zodiac and her favorite minor formations.

By the time she was done, shooting stars were streaking across the full length of their sight. The guild laid down to watch them.

They were quiet for a long time, admiring the natural night sky. But Lucy remembered one point at which Natsu fingered her wrist, saying, "Make a wish."

She closed her eyes after seeing the biggest star fly by yet. She cheated, though.

She made a second wish: she wished that Natsu would wish for the same thing she had.

And from the warm smile he graced her with afterwards, she had a small hope that maybe, just maybe, he had.

* * *

 **Heya loves!**

 **A oneshot I wrote up for day two of Fairy Tail Fluff Week, prompt: _Starlight._ TKOF universe.**

 **This was a part that I cut out of the story because I already had enough parts distracting from the plot, but I thought it fit the prompt, so I went ahead and wrote it for this. Hope you enjoyed and it held you over until the next TKOF chapter! I'm catching up in schoolwork, so it's still being put off.**

 **Mizpah,**

 **~LoneStorm**


	2. Make A Promise

"I can barely focus on this," Lucy muttered, impatiently pushing her bangs back as she tapped her pencil against her temple. Roughly, she flipped a page in her textbook. Of course, she _needed_ to be able to focus on this; she needed more information for her senior thesis. Finish this, a few hellish exams, and she was home free with that degree and a nice job at Fairy Tail right out of college.

Beside her, cross-legged on her striped bed, Natsu put down his laptop, beginning to twirl fire within his bare hands. "Why's that?"

"I'm just too excited!" she moaned, throwing down her pencil. "Erza and Jellal are getting married tomorrow, and I'm just too busy thinking about the dresses and the dancing and how wonderful it will all be and…"

"Should be fun," Natsu agreed with a shrug, lazily turning his gaze out the sunny window. Late spring had rolled in with the greenest grass and freshest breeze that taunted the students forced to remain with their nose against their screen or school book. But Lucy was watching him-the cute slope of his nose, sharp jaw, and dark, gentle eyes. His hair was still damp from a shower, unruly and curled around his ears. His black Styx shirt laid against his front in the most tantalizing way that showed off the muscle underneath-

"-I mean, right? Lucy?"

She blinked, realizing that he'd been talking to her. "Sorry, what?"

There was a flash of a smirk, but it molded back into an innocent smile. "I was just sayin' there'll be good food, right? Lots of cheesecake?"

Lucy allowed a light laugh. "Yes, likely buckets of it. You remember where you'll walk, right?"

"Yup. Between all the benches."

Lucy paused. "Good enough." Putting aside her book, she set her back against the wall. "I'll be so nervous."

Natsu snorted. "Why? _You're_ not getting married."

"I _know_ , but it'll be a huge moment in their lives, and everything has to be perfect!" Lucy squeaked, feeling a dreamy expression cross her face. "I'm going to make sure to bring some tissues, and oh, Erza just picked out the prettiest dresses and now they'll spend the rest of their lives together in a special bond and have babies and…" Lucy sighed. "I guess I just can't wait to see how happy they'll be."

Natsu was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, I guess they will be pretty happy, huh? Having a ceremony and party to vow to be together forever?"

Staring off into her dreams that she didn't bother to tell him, she murmured, "Yeah."

She had a sharp intake of breath in surprise when he cupped her chin and kissed her-it was very rare that he ever initiated one, so she melted into him and his campfire scent. It lasted only a minute, but when he backed away, he placed a last kiss on her jaw before settling back against the wall beside her.

Before she could ask what he did that for, Natsu asked casually, "So… do you wanna?"

Lucy frowned. "Wanna what?"

"You know. Get married. To me."

She choked on air, feeling her heart burst into hyperspeed. "Wh-wha…. what?!"

"I-it's not a proposal!" Natsu said hurriedly, wincing away from her. "I was just… Is it a possibility? In… in the future?"

Feeling her heart and cheeks warm in harmony, Lucy told him gently, "Of course it is."

His grin was so huge, hopeful, and dorky that she just had to kiss him again.

And again.

And again.

And… well, you get the picture.

* * *

"Are you free for a job this week?"

Lucy looked up from her tea. The guild was having a particularly boisterous day, which was the reason for Lucy's concerned expression; not only was Natsu stiff and tense, standing beside her seat at the bar, but he wasn't joining in the brawl. No, he'd come over to ask if she was up for a job. Since it was summer and she had a job as an English teacher all lined up with Master for next year, she was plenty free. Which he should have known…

"Yes, of course." Lucy reached up to brush a hand across his cheek. "Is everything okay?"

"Hmm? Yes. Of course. Uh huh. Simply spiffy. I'm good. I'm fine," he rambled in a staccato, twisting his hands. Though he was the worst liar in Fiore, Lucy just nodded and smiled. If he wanted to talk to her about what was bothering him, he would in his own time. Natsu breathed out as if in relief, stepping up to curl his arms around her waist. "Okay, so two days? Can you be ready for an overnight?"

"Sure," Lucy told him airily, entwining her right hand with his. "What's the job?"

"It's a surprise," he told her, planting a quick kiss on her neck before rushing off to punch Gray in the face.

Lucy felt an ecstatic jolt-she loved surprises. It made the adventure all the more interesting.

"Date night?" Mira giggled, sliding up to her and gripping a tray. She was as beautiful as ever today, wearing a simple, blue dress that made her eyes glow.

Waving her off with a laugh, Lucy said, "Nah, job. Surprise one, though. Just as fun as a date any day."

"I get the feeling that Natsu thinks of jobs with you as dates."

"...probably."

"Don't you ever wish for something a little more…" Mira wiggled her eyebrows. "Romantic?"

Shrugging wistfully, Lucy answered, "I guess sometimes, but not often. He takes me out somewhere really nice every few months, and that satisfies that. But it has been a while…" Lucy clasped her hands around her mug. "I don't need anything fancy. I love him because he's Natsu, not some perfectly-manicured gentleman."

"And this is why you guys are my OTP," Mira sighed.

"What?"

"Just don't ask."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked yet again, gazing out at the landscape rushing by the train window.

Natsu kept his arms crossed, face impassive. "Surprise."

Her eyes scanned up and down his face. "You look pale. Is the troya not working?"

"No. It's fine."

Lucy raised her eyebrows, saying suspiciously, "You're acting so nervous. We've been known each other near seven years now-I wouldn't think you'd get all antsy on a job. Not to mention, you're the sensei of the dojo in the best ninjitsu guild in the world. It's not like you'd be nervous to fight."

The muscles in his jaw worked, and he muttered, "I'm not nervous."

"You're also a terrible liar."

The corners of his mouth quirked upward. "I know."

With a sigh, Lucy let it go. If he had his mind set on not telling her something, there was no way she could get him to say it. Well, unless she kissed him enough, but she'd feel guilty for the manipulation.

It wasn't long before the wheels screeched, and the station came into sight. Natsu drew their luggage off of the rack with ease, and the pair filed out of their compartment in silence. The train station was a bustling place, and she had to hold onto his wrist to keep from getting lost in the rough and swarming crowd.

After fighting their way to the doors with overnight backpacks clutched tightly, the evening air brushed across Lucy's cheek with salty familiarity. Something about the place sparked her memory: the ocean across the way, the torches being lit along the cute streets with booths selling foreign wares from the port.

Lucy halted eyes narrowing to take it all in before they widened. "It's Hargeon!"

Slowly, Natsu's smile grew, gaze twinkling down at her. "Did you forget the date? Happy Meeting-In-A-Gang-Fight Day, Lucy."  
She laughed, pulling him into an excited hug. "You found a job here in the same place on the same day?!"

"Yep! Funny how that works out, eh?" He laughed unconvincingly as Lucy backed so that her hands circled his neck. Again, she let it go.

"Alrighty. Lead the way, oh fierce Fire Dragon Slayer."

His grin was smug, probably because it wasn't often that she boosted his ego. He led indeed, pulling her along to the right, where the port lay waiting. Lucy found herself in the same path she'd walked the first time she'd met him; taking in the romantic atmosphere along the docks, smelling the various sweets being sold from the nearby shops…

But the small table with white tablecloth and fancy dinner was new. Lucy blinked at it uncertainly; they must've opened a new restaurant, but why would they put a single table out? And she couldn't help but notice that it was right on the wooden, ocean walkway outside the alley where she'd first met Natsu-

"Here is the job!" Natsu proclaimed, waving a hand to the little set up as they stopped beside the two chairs with candlelit wine and plates heaped with Italian cuisine. "You are to have dinner with me. Sound good?"

Her mouth fell open. " _You_ planned this?!"

"Well, sounding surprised that this is, in fact, a nice date rather than a job is the goal, here, but doubting my fantastical romantical ability is slightly hurtful."

"Natsu," she laughed, feeling her face nearly split with her smile. "This is _amazing_."

"Only the best for you." He pulled out the chair for her to sit.

"When did you get all smooth?" Lucy teased.

"I may or may not have asked Loke what to say." His face was bashful as he picked up his glass. "To Meeting-In-A-Gang-Fight Day?"

"Indeed, good sir," she agreed, clinking her glass against his.

So they were both dressed in full black gear and weaponry. They had contests to see who could keep their spoon on their nose longest. They scraped every last bit of food from their plates and over half of the wine bottle was empty so that Natsu (the stinkin' lightweight) had a rosy glow to his cheeks.

And all of it just made Lucy know ever the more intensely that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Ever since he'd blurted out a suggestion that they get married at some point, (and not those silly little marriage offers when they were seventeen) Lucy couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't stop that warm excitement at Erza and Jellal's wedding, knowing that it could be her and Natsu up there someday. Knowing he could be the last thing she saw before she fell asleep every night, and the first when she woke up. Knowing that her children may have that crooked grin or cute nose, and that he, as the one she trusted most in the world, could be the one she'd give all of herself to-

The squeaking of Natsu's chair as he relaxed back in it brought her out of her reverie. He looked to be entering a food coma, a sloppy grin across his face. "Was that good stuff or what?"

"It was wonderful," she told him, setting her elbows on the table and cheeks in her hands as she gazed at him. "Thank you so much, Natsu."

His eyes lazily drifted to hers, and after a moment's hesitation, he leaned across the table, moved the candle and rose, and kissed her right there. It was a happy little kiss, cherished nonetheless, and when he broke it off, she finally asked with a hazy smile, "Why'd you do that?"

"'Cause I love you," he told her simply, sighing as he pushed himself up from the table and walked over to her. She assumed he was going to offer a hand to walk off, but instead he yet again blew her mind and knelt before her, weight rested on one knee. "And that's why I'm doin' this too."

It wasn't until he brought out a little velvet box from his pocket that she realized what was going on, and at that point, she might've started slightly hyperventilating. "Oh Mavis, holy crap, oh my-"

Natsu opened it to reveal a ring of gold and diamond, and his cheeks started to smoke like they did when he was under extreme pressure. "Um… will you marry me? Please? Oh crap, you're crying. Am I doing it wrong? Is it one knee or two? Because I can't remember if Loke said-"

"No, no, you're doing it perfectly," Lucy whispered, hand over her mouth.

"Oh okay. Because I was totally freaking out about this I mean I was totally hiding it really well for a while but man I've had this thing in my pocket for a long time trying to figure out how to give it to you because I designed it and had Levy look over the design to make sure she thought you'd like it too and see it has the turquoise opals on the curvy parts there and the diamond is lower so you won't get it caught on stuff and it kinda has Fairy Tail colors ya see-"

"Natsu."

"-and you still drive me crazy so I'm positive that means we have to be together forever now and every guy I asked said I should just shove this at you but Igneel said I should plan somethin' special and I thought I should listen to him 'cause he's my dad and all and he really wants you to be his daughter in law but you already know that-"

"Um-"

"-and like I didn't think there was really any point in waiting because we already have loved each other for about seven years I think and I wanna be with you every day and I hope you feel the same way and cuddling with you every night would be fun and maybe we could build our own house on that hill in the East Forest with the sunsets I mean haha not like I've thought about this a lot but I want an exercise room and I'll build you a library because I love you-"

"I-I-"

"-but I really don't know I mean if you're not ready that's totally cool and I'll wait as long as you want but you seemed excited when we talked about it last and liked the idea when we were talking about Erza and Jellal's so I figured I'd give it a shot now because for me it's the sooner the better to be honest because I really, really wanna marry you more than anything and you're so beautiful and fun and wonderful and you're my best friend in the whole world and we're already a great team-"

"Natsu-"

"-and I mean good teams are good for babies right 'cause when you're married that means you're supposed to have babies and I'd really like to have babies like it's an adventure and I like adventures and you like adventures and babies are cute but I think I'm talking too far ahead and that might be scaring you like obviously pregnancy is painful so if you wanna adopt that's okay but a baby that looked like you would be awesome and maybe they'd even end up being a dragon slayer and I love you a lot and I would try to be a good husband because you deserve the best and your dad seems to like me and so if you could marry me that would be great but if you wanna wait that's fine-"

"NATSU, _SHUT UP!_ "

He blinked, pausing mid-rant as she blurted out through tears, "I'll marry you."

"R-really?"

"Really."

"And, like, be my wife and all that good stuff?"

"I'll be your wife and all that good stuff."

"Oh. Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He started to grin, and she joined him, hastily pushing away her happy tears as he let out a groan of relief and dropped his head into her lap, arms encircling her waist tightly. "Thank God… Oh thank _God…_ "

Lucy pushed her fingers through his hair wonderingly, still not fully having what had just happened sink in, as he backed away from her. Her heart gave a squeeze at just how happy he looked, amazed at how something that made her feel so happy too could have the same effect on someone else…

"I should probably put this on you before I do something dumb like drop it off the pier," Natsu muttered shyly, taking the ring from the box.

"O-oh. Of course," she managed, watching him shakily slip the cool metal over her left ring finger and slide the box back into his pocket. "I love it," she told him.

"And this too," added Natsu, replacing the red bracelet on her wrist with the white on his.

And as they got up and walked to their nearby hotel, Natsu pulled her close by the waist.

"Spicy tacos for the reception?"

"I won't kiss you if we have spicy tacos," Lucy told him sharply.

"Well, if I drink enough wine-"

"-then you'll be dancing the conga on the table and singing "Party Rock Anthem" by the end of the night. No."

"But think of how memorable I'd make the wedding!" protested Natsu.

"I'm sure the day we pledge the rest of our lives to each other will be memorable enough," she reminded him, still unable to stop smiling.

Natsu hummed. "And the _night_."

" _Natsu!_ "

"I was thinkin' maybe 33 babies. Sound good?"

"Is that physically possible?"

"I'm sure a healthy girl like you could manage it. Think of the small army we could make!"

"I am not giving birth to an army."

"Fiiiine…"

* * *

 **Good day loves,**

 **That was such pure and utter fluff that I should be ashamed of myself. XD Anywho, this was a present for my dear friend sheakia-solo on tumblr! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMAZING HUMAN THAT MAKES ME SMILE AND I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**

 **Yas, so this is how Natsu proposed in TKOF later on. It is actually modeled after how my dad asked my mom to marry him, at least the first part. My parents were just talking about others getting married and he was suddenly just like "So, do you wanna?" Yes, my father. The great romancer. He did ask her properly later…. well, if properly means by giving her a nut that she had to crack open to get the the ring. XD**

 **Feel free to request TKOF oneshots that you'd like to see!**

 **Mizpah,**

 **~LoneStorm**


	3. Make A Life

"Why would you do this to me?" was the first thing Natsu whispered when they stepped into the revolving doors of the aquarium.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Um, what do you mean?"

Gray and Juvia ambled in, holding hands, at their right, with Gajeel and Levy and Jellal with Erza trailing behind. Lucy had never had a problem with group dates; after all, they were the people she'd hang out with on a regular basis anyway.

Natsu let out a whine of some sorts, eyeing a particularly large and colorful fish in the entryway tank while he slid his left hand into her right. His wedding ring was cool against her fingers. "All these fish. All these fish that I can't eat…"

Her eyes rolled automatically. "Oh, I'll buy you some _edible_ fish afterwards… C'mon, Juvia wanted to see this while we're in Crocus, so just suck it up! It'll be really cool!"

The Grand Ninjitsu Games were again upon them, and the guild was in a hype over all the members of theirs entering the games. Since most of their friends were now ineligible now that they were out of college, Natsu had spent most of his time training the less experienced dojo students with intense vigor. By the way his fingers twitched and his eyes flicked towards the door, Lucy could see that he wanted nothing more than to take the contestants to the nearby gym to make sure their training was sufficient. But he would just have to deal with it; Juvia was the over emotional type of pregnant lady, and things that had to do with water were the best to cheer her up.

And Erza was the overenthusiastic type of pregnant lady; as soon as Gray desperately offered to take a crying Juvia to the aquarium, Erza had shouted out, "What a wonderful idea, Gray! Let's all go!"

Thus, here they were.

Jellal was wincing worriedly, eyes locked on his wife as she waddled in excitedly in front of him. Lucy hid her giggle as he jogged to catch up and take her hand so that she wouldn't overexert herself-at nearly nine months pregnant, she was even more fragile than Juvia, who was only four months in.

"Lucyyyyy," Natsu moaned to her quietly, gazing longingly towards the door. "There's fish at home… not the chance to train more for GNG!"

"Come _on_ ," she hissed sharply, tugging him past where Gray had just paid for the tickets. There were separate sections for all kinds of regions where the fish lived. Lucy's eyes brightened at the sight of a wing of tropical varieties, where she pulled her husband off to while the others wandered elsewhere.

The smell of salt and algae accompanied them along the way, a few kids were being rather loud, and Juvia was crying in happiness in a volume that rivaled the kids, but Lucy finally got to spend time with Natsu, and nothing could stop the smile on her face.

Well, except him. Natsu normally adored any sort of animal, and they entranced him easily. But...

She tried to show him an angel fish. He groaned, "Lucy, I should be training."

Lucy pointed to a huge sting ray. He huffed, "Mermaid Heel will destroy us if I don't practice more swordplay with them."

She excitedly dragged him to a pool with dolphins. He said, "Yes. I see it." He began dialing on his phone.

She frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Wendy. I need to make sure she's remembering to pick up a new Bo staff with Valorie-"

"Right _now?_ " Lucy sighed, squeezing her temples.

"Yes, or I'll forget! Ugh, she's not answering."

"Maybe she's off with Romeo." Eyebrow twitching, Lucy said stiffly, "Having _fun_. With the guy she _loves_."

"Don't have _time_ for that." He scowled, turning his phone horizontally to text.

When she saw him scroll through his contacts and begin to message Romeo as well, Lucy curled her fingers around his arm and tried for more patience. "C'mon, Natsu; you've trained them very well and they'll surely bring us to a win this week. Let's just relax and enjoy Crocus today-"

"I'll _enjoy_ it when I can make sure my students are ready rather than looking at fish," Natsu mumbled, glaring out the window.

After the boiling of her anxiety of what she desperately needed to tell him, frustration and depression and anger for not seeing him for several weeks, it was as if, at that last comment, her temper had finally reached its end. Something inside snapped, and Lucy snarled out, dropping his arm, "Fine! _GO!_ Just _leave_ , if it sucks so much to spend an hour with your wife after barely speaking to her for over a month! Just go back to your damn dojo! So _sorry_ to be such an annoyance!"

She turned away from him to hide the tears blurring in her eyes. She knew she was being overly emotional, but that was to be expected, considering her condition. A condition she hadn't told him about, worried that he'd be angry or not care since he was so busy. Lucy held her arms tightly to her stomach, storming off the other way and to the archway of sharks overhead. Roughly rubbing her eyes dry with her palms, she foraged on, intending to just go back to the hotel and cry and eat pickles and drink a huge rootbeer float… or whatever the hell else she was craving.

"Lucy! No, no Lucy, I-!" Natsu caught up to her, grabbing her arm and turning her back around. As soon as he saw her red-rimmed eyes, his own widened, and he pulled her into a warm embrace that she'd been longing for the most. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean… It's not that I don't want to spend time with you, Lucy… I'm sorry that I haven't been home much. You're not annoying me…"

"No I...I'm sorry," muttered Lucy into his shoulder, clutching at his shirt. "I o-overreacted and... I don't mean to be over dramatic or emotional but I've just been so worried and I know you're busy and I'm p-proud of you but… but oh I just… I need to tell you something, Natsu."

"I'm never too busy for you," he said, planting a kiss on her head. "Nothing is more fun or relaxing than being with you… but I've just let my obsession get to me again, I guess. I'm sorry." He smiled at her when he drew back and took her face in his hands. "Now what is it that you have to tell me?"

"W-well." Lucy winced. "I-I don't want you to be angry, because I know it's already a stressful time for us, but please… please try to take it okay."

He was beginning to look alarmed. "Lucy? What's wrong? Did I do something-?"

"No, no it's not you! And it's nothing really _wrong-_ "

" _JELLAL!_ "

The two of them froze at the sound of Erza's screaming voice around the corner. Together, they turned to the next corridor and took off running to their friend.

"Erza!" Natsu called in a panic, rounding the corner in front of Lucy. Erza was leaning against the nearest tank, being examined curiously by the clownfish. She was breathing heavily while Jellal spoke soothingly to her and wrapped a gentle arm around her waist. Lucy gasped and grabbed her husband's arm when she saw the dark spot on Erza's sweatpants.

Natsu saw it too. "Erza, did you just pee yourself? Man, pregnancy does weird stuff to ya-"

"No, you idiot!" Erza hissed through her teeth with hands clamped over her round tummy. "My water just broke!"

"Erza, you can't _break_ water," explained Natsu, rolling his eyes. "It's a _liquid_. You'd have to make it into ice-"

"Ice will break you if you don't shut up, arsonist," Gray said as he jogged up. "Holy, crap-is it time?! Right now?! It's two weeks early!"

Juvia began to cry. Lucy didn't know why. Gajeel and Levy came back around the corner, gasping at the sight of Erza being quickly helped out towards the door by Jellal and Natsu while Gray ran along to start up the van they'd taken.

Lucy clambered into the van, helping Juvia in and comforting her best she could, though she wasn't quite sure if Juvia was even crying for a negative reason. She then took on the job of calling ahead to the hospital, dialing and saying, "We've got a woman in labor coming your way in a few minutes! Yes, front door. Thank you!"

Levy sprouted off random breathing techniques she'd learned that could help in books, though Lucy was unsure as to whether anyone was listening to her. Gajeel stared straight ahead in his seat in a sort of horror, Gray drove like a madman with Erza shouting, between cries of pain, instructions as to where to drive and when to "stop steering like a maniac with three pregnant ladies in the car".

" _Three?_ " Natsu yelped, spinning around in his seat to stare at the back. "Levy's pregnant?! Congrats!"

"I'm not pregnant, you moron!" Levy screeched, throwing a book she'd pulled from who-knows-where at him. Natsu dodged the book and it hit Jellal in the head, which sent him flying into Gray who jerked the wheel in surprise.

The group all screamed together as they nearly crashed into a semi truck before Gray righted the vehicle and took off back to downtown Crocus and to their hospital.

When they mercifully all slammed to a stop in front of the emergency wing, Jellal swung Erza up into his arms right there and carried her to the sliding doors, where he placed her in a wheelchair and zoomed to the front desk where nurses were waiting. The others hurried along, Gray calling the Master, Lucy calling Mirajane, Natsu calling Wendy, Gajeel calling Rogue, Levy calling Jet, and Juvia scrambling for her phone to call Cana.

Once Natsu got off the phone with an excited Wendy, he said, "I'll call my dad!"

"Which one?" Lucy panted as they sprinted down to follow Jellal.

"Um… I'll get Igneel. You get Gildarts?"

"You got it, partner."

Five minutes later, the group had been pushed out from where they'd forced their way into the delivery room and into the waiting room. Lucy had wanted to stay as well, but knew that their presence would be too stressful. She made sure Natsu didn't rampage into the room with a promise of a delightful reward if he behaved.

Gray held a sleeping Juvia to his shoulder, Gajeel meditated on the floor, Levy speed-read all the magazines available while glancing toward the birthing center hallway, Lucy sat and stared straight ahead while Natsu paced. And paced. And paced and paced and paced and pace-

"Why is she crying? Didn't they give her medicine?" Natsu said frantically, hearing Erza's pained sounds a few doors down.

"I don't think any medicine could fully relieve the pain of fitting something as large as a baby's head out of an opening much smaller," Lucy sighed as he continued back and forth.

"Ow, ow oh man I wish I could give my healingness to her," Natsu moaned, speeding up. "Do you think the baby will have blue hair? Or a weird thing on its face? How do you push a baby out of a vagina? What does she mean by her water broke? 'Cause if women can break water they defy physics and that's a huge feat. Will she ever heal again? What if the baby is sick? What if he can't do ninjitsu? What if he is as scary as Erza? Do babies have feelings? Do pigeons have feelings? Will Erza have feeling left in her body after this? What if the baby is a girl even though they said he was a boy? What if I'm a terrible uncle? Do babies-"

"SHUT UP!" Gray and Gajeel shouted, waking up Juvia.

Natsu growled at them, but Lucy stood and gently lead him to sit on the checkered sofa beside her. "Lay down and calm down, Natsu. They'll be fine." He did as asked, sighing as he placed his head on her lap and she began to massage his head. "I don't know what color hair I think the baby should have. I'm sure he'll be beautiful either way," Lucy began patiently. "I don't think the mark on his face is hereditary, you push a baby through a vagina painfully, and she meant that the egg-like sac around the baby that he was cushioned in broke open, letting all the fluid out so that the baby could be born. She will heal, I'm sure the baby will be fine and will do ninjitsu well if he wants. He might be as scary as Erza. Babies have feelings and so do pigeons. She will be a bit numb but that's a good thing. It's okay if the baby is actually a girl. You'll be a lovely uncle. Did I get them all?"

"Yes," he breathed out, snuggling into her.

In several groups, guild members burst into the birthing unit, red-faced from rushing and demanding to see Erza. Over and over, Lucy had to explain that only Jellal was allowed in with Erza and the doctors, and that they'd be called when the baby was fully delivered. The waiting room was soon a fishbowl of chaos, murmuring and shouting and wincing at Erza's cries and playing a game of twister they'd found somewhere that ended up with Jet, Droy, Gajeel, Warren, Naab, and Max in a huge mess with Laki as the victor. In the other corner, Sting, Rogue, Yukino, Elfman, and Gray had a contest to see who could make the most violent-looking CareBear from the CareBear coloring book they'd found on the shelf.

Natsu was asleep, curled up with his brows furrowing from time to time in his dreams. Lucy lay back on the couch, breathing out shallowly and listening for any more indication from the room that the baby might be close to being delivered.

Just as she was considering shaking Natsu awake and blurting her secret out right there, Lucy heard a scream that was different from the last ones in the delivery room. Higher pitched, one that had never been heard before…

"The baby!" Lucy gasped, sitting up straight so that Natsu tumbled to the floor. "The baby is out, guys!"

Everyone paused mid-twister, mid-whisper, and mid-scribble, looking up towards the hall in a second of shock before all bolting to their feet and rushing to the room at once.

It still wasn't another ten minutes before they were let in, Erza's closer friends first. Master, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Juvia, Levy, Gajeel, Meredy, Wendy, Mira, and Cana were admitted, all crowding around her bed in a circle.

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of the little boy that Erza was holding to her chest. Jellal was stroking the tuft of dark, scarlet hair on the baby's head, Erza gazing down at her son with a look of love that was purer than any she thought she had ever seen.

"Beautiful," was all she could seem to say. "Isn't he beautiful?"

Everyone murmured in awed agreement. After a minute of amazed silence for the tiny new human, Erza reluctantly passed the boy to Jellal, who carefully placed him in Juvia's awaiting arms.

The baby was passed around to each of them. (Master held him a rather short amount of time, due to how he burst into tears a few seconds after he touched the child.) When Gajeel finally passed the baby to Lucy, she marveled at just how light he was, breathing steadily in his sleep through less than a button of a nose.

"He's all… squishy," Gajeel told her, bemused, as he poked the child's cheek.

The baby was so warm. His small face glowed, or it at least seemed to to Lucy. The mere idea of the extreme innocence of this tiny marvel overwhelmed her. Erza was right. So, so beautiful, and Lucy yearned to be the one that got to care for him.

"Lucy? Can I hold him?"

It was Natsu, pleading eyes glancing into hers hesitantly. With a small smile, she nodded, indicating how to shape his arms before slowly putting the baby in their cradle.

This time, she watched Natsu. His face was absolutely starstruck, dark eyes wide and wondering, throat catching as the baby's fingers curled around his thumb.

"Wow," he breathed. Erza smiled at Natsu as he shook his head in amazement. "Wow…"

* * *

The hospital tried desperately to get rid of the hoard of guild members.

Each insisted on holding the baby, and several brought gifts, despite how the baby shower had been two months ago. But slowly, they did trickle out, many members needing persuasion to make their way to the doors until only those who'd first been with here when she went into labor remained.

It was late. Nine at night at least when Lucy found herself sitting with her husband in the waiting room. Gray and Juvia were still visiting the baby, while Gajeel and Levy had gone to find more food.

All of the events that had transpired should have made Lucy want to put off her news until it would be less stressful, but she was just bursting to tell Natsu-

"Lucy, I have something I've been meaning to tell you, too."

She raised her eyebrows at Natsu, who was clenching his fists determinedly as he stood. Lucy copied him, getting to her feet before him and taking his hands in hers. "Okay. What is it?"

"You first," he said, his boots shifting. "You wanted to tell me something first…"

"No, you can go…"

"Really, you go ahead; yours seemed important-"

"So does yours," Lucy insisted. "Look, let's just both say it at once and we'll talk first about whatever sounds most important, okay?"

"Okay. Ready?"

"Yep," Lucy told him, wincing as her stomach churned with anxiety. "One, two, three-"

Natsu burst out, "I want kids!" just as Lucy blurted, "I'm pregnant!"

They blinked.

"What?" they chorused.

After a weighted pause, a smile wove its way onto Lucy's face. "Well, that's convenient."

"You're... pregnant?"

"Yes."

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes. I am going to have a baby."

"You're pregnant."

"We've established this."

Suddenly, he was pulling her into the best kiss he'd ever given her, mouth hot on hers and arms thrown around her impossibly tight and warm-

"Why is it always _me?_ Every. Single. _Time_. Is there some cursed rule in the universe that Natsu and Lucy can't make out unless Gray witnesses it?"

The two broke apart irritably to see Gray in the doorway, exasperated.

"I have been wondering the same thing," Natsu said stiffly, "for a very long time."

Juvia wandered up behind, peering over Gray's shoulder. "Gray-sama! Why did you interrupt them?! Natsu-kun and Lucy-chan were clearly having a romantic moment!"

Natsu seemed to have lost his annoyance at being interrupted already, chittering out while hugging Lucy close, "We have good news!"

Lucy noticed the dark lines of exhaustion under Gray's eyes. "I think I've had enough good news for one day."

Ignoring this comment, Natsu shouted out for the whole waiting room to hear, "LUCY IS PREGNANT! I'M GONNA BE A DAD!"

"Oh, you told him! Finally!" Juvia shrieked happily.

"WHAT." Gray ran to Lucy, grabbing her arms. "Lucy, what have you _done?!_ You are reproducing with Natsu?! Why are you risking the spread of his harmful genes?"

"I rather enjoy reproducing with him," Lucy told Gray with a smirk. "The very first step of it he is quite talented at."

Levy and Gajeel walked in at that point, their eyes growing instantly round.

"Uh," Gajeel said awkwardly. "Maybe we should go back to the food…?"

"Levy! Cos'!" Natsu called, joy flushing through his face. "Lucy's pregnant! We're havin' a baby and I'm gonna be a dad and the world is a place of SUNSHINE!"

"You finally told him!" Levy cried out, running to push Gray out of the way and hugging her friend. "Oh, I'm so happy for all of you! Natsu, you be good to her now and make sure she has plenty of rest-"

"That's awesome," Gajeel congratulated in surprise. "I mean, even if it's Salamander's kid, it could turn out okay if Lucy's havin' 'em."

"Psh, yeah maybe," Lucy agreed, rolling her eyes as Natsu embraced her ever the harder.

"But," said Gajeel slowly then, eyes narrowing at all of them. "Does that mean… all of our friends are havin' kids 'cept us, short stuff?"

Levy shrugged, twisting the wedding ring on her own finger nervously. "Yeah…"

A heated moment of contemplation. Then-

"Alright then." With a few strides, Gajeel flung Levy over his shoulder, marching her off to the doors. "We are not leavin' the hotel room until a Gajeel or Levy Junior is in your tummy."

"Wh-what?! Gajeel, put me the hell down!"

The remaining four laughed. Lucy continued to grin, burying her face into Natsu's scarf. So maybe she would throw up every morning. Maybe she would crave weird things and cry for no reason and be tired all the time. Maybe labor would hurt like hell.

But to see Natsu's face light up like that, to feel the small life she cared for within her womb and to see it further blossom into one she could hold in her arms…

Worth it a thousand times over.

* * *

 **Heya!**

 **Man, the birthdays just keep rollin' in! This time, I have written as a one-day-early birthday present for the amazing amehanaaa! (amehanaa on this site) She's such a talented sweetheart-go read her stories! They're adorable and some of my favorite Nalu fics every! Hope you like it, amehanaa! It started out as her request for an aquarium date and kind of turned into all of this XD**

 **Kind of stumped as to which event in their lives to do next in the next few… open to ideas! Can't promise to update this one soon, though, what with** _ **The Way We Smile**_ **and** _ **Double Dad Dilemma**_ **underway. :) Thank you so much for every sweet review! I'm so happy to see that you guys still enjoy the world of TKOF.**

 **Mizpah,**

 **~LoneStorm**


	4. Make A Mess

"Lucy…"

Lucy tensed in the middle of the sentence she was backspacing; she knew that tone. The exact pitch and extension in which Natsu spoke her name so that she knew exactly what he was going to say next.

"I'm-"

"Bored, I know," she growled, pulling her laptop shut. She sighed, sitting back in her bed as she plopped the computer onto her pillow. Complete, mind-slaughtering writer's block. "Honestly, I'm kinda bored too."

Natsu's pink hair splayed out on her bedspread, goggles slipping down his head when he shifted and crossed his legs over the end of the bed. "We could go train."

"We just did for four hours!" Lucy said instantly. "Absolutely not. I refuse to do anything that requires actual exercise. We could… play cards."

"We just did that for an hour," he droned.

"We could watch Netflix."

"We did that for two hours."

"We could go socialize."  
"We did that this morning. Let's pick a job!"

"We just got home from one yesterday."

"Let's blow something up."

"No."

Moaning dramatically, Natsu rolled over and crawled closer, flopping into her lap. "It's too quiet around here!"

"Sometimes I like it that way," Lucy said, choosing boredom over the chance of invoking explosives.

"I don't," he said grumpily. "I want to explode something. We could do it on the beach!"

"I'm not getting arrested to satisfy your boredom."

"C'mon, Lucy." With his signature grin, he reached up and booped her nose. "Cause chaos with me."

"Cry havoc," she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she picked up the nearest book, "and let loose the Natsus of war."

"What?"

"It's a Shakespeare thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Shakespeare talked about me?"

"No! Ugh, fine, what do you want to do?"

Natsu lept up immediately jumping on the bed. "Yes! Let's prank someone!"

Narrowing her eyes, she said warningly, "It had better not be Erza."

"I don't have a _death wish_ ," he scoffed. "Nah… something better…"

Though Lucy didn't want to contribute to his delinquency, she also had her buried desires to make a little crazy. Troublemaking was sometimes far too… exciting. And with Natsu, the word 'troublemaking' was usually an understatement. "Well…" she said slowly, "how many showers do the boys' and girls' dojo locker rooms have?"

After a while, she'd grown slightly less terrified at the implications of his mischievous smile. "Oh, I think I like where this is going."

"Isn't the guild annual dodgeball game tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"And how much money do we have for Kool-Aid?"

"Where _is_ this going?"

And when she told him, he burst into maniacal cackles, purring, "Perfect. Lucy, I think I love you. Let's go shopping."

* * *

"Distraction implemented!" Natsu whispered to Lucy as he bolted into the dojo. They'd cleared everyone out with a small set of fireworks let loose in the guild hall, and she saw Natsu lock the door behind them.

She gave a grin and held up their bag of materials. "Let's get to it."

They knew they had a small window of time, so they got to work, taking off the caps of the shower heads and shoving little packages inside before re-attaching them. There were eight to fill in the boys' bathroom, eight in the girls'. Next, Natsu crawled over to the water vein for the two bathrooms. Lucy didn't know exactly what he did, but he slammed the door behind him shut with a satisfied smile. "Everything is ready. Now let's go suit up for dodgeball!"

Trying not to look too suspicious, Lucy rushed up to her room and changed into a tank top and shorts. Levy was there, putting on her own gym clothes and exchanging her glasses for contacts. "This is gonna be great! I hope we're on Erza's team; she has the best strategies."

"Definitely," Lucy agreed, picking up the water bottle she'd filled. "Natsu's pretty good at it too, though."

"As his sorta girlfriend, I think you're biased."

"I am not his girlfriend in any stretch of the imagination. I have standards. So let's go!"

* * *

"Team captains are Laxus and Mirajane!" the master announced as soon as the group of about thirty guild members had gathered. "Mira is team blue, and Laxus team gold! Wear the side of the bandana corresponding to your team color so that it is easily visible. They may take their pick of any member until none are left. Choose wisely."

"That's interesting," Levy said, raising her eyebrows. "I mean, he usually chooses Mira, but I thought he might switch to Erza by now."

"Mira is playing?" Lucy asked. "But she never fights or anything…"

"She's a demon at dodgeball," giggled Levy, eyeing up the two captains. "Mira is a great captain. But the rumors have gotten even more intense this year…"

"Rumors?"

"There's this theory that Laxus is in love with her and she's in love with him, but he expresses about enough emotion as a brick, and Mira is too focused on other romances as an effort to avoid her own."

"Huh. I don't think I've heard that one before," Lucy laughed, turning to view the captains that were smirking at one another with a deadly intensity. "They'd be cute together, though. I can see it."

"Yeah. They've known each other a long time, and he always takes time to talk to her. It's adorable." Levy squinted back and forth. "I wonder which will pick team Shadowgear this year. It's a general trend that they keep teams together, because of their teamwork dynamic. You'll be on Natsu's team, no doubt."

Calculation whirled behind the eyes of both of the captains, and when Master gave the word, Mira shouted, "Erza!"

Laxus grinned. "Bixlow."

"Cana."

"Freed."

"Elfman."

He shrugged. "Okay. Evergreen."

Mira considered. "Hmm… Loke."

Laxus scanned the crowd. "Natsu."

With a cheer, Natsu followed the suit of the others and jogged over to Laxus' side. Lucy figured Gray would be chosen next, using their rivalry as an advantage.

Instead, Mira gave a sadistic smile. "Lucy."

The people of the dojo froze.

"What?" Natsu said first, aghast. "Y-you can't do that! She's my teammate!"

"Mira!" Laxus protested as well. "You can't break up teams! That's not…"

"It's not against the rules," Mira said silkily. "C'mon, Lucy."

Very confused, Lucy walked to Mira's side of the dojo.

Narrowing his eyes, Laxus chose, "Alzack."

"Bisca."

The two teammates' mouths dropped open in horror. Laxus growed, "Stop that!"

"Make me." Something about that sounded very intimate to Lucy, who looked away from Mira's lidded expression.

She could see Laxus gulp visibly before he raised his eyebrows. "Later, maybe I will. Okay, I choose Laki."

"Gray," Mira finally said. "And I look forward to it."

Gray, who came to stand by Lucy, looked between the two captains and muttered, "Get a room." He had already lost his shirt.

"Jet," Laxus said, tilting up his chin.

"Levy."

"YOU'RE JOKING."

"Not."

Lucy finally noticed a trend. It wasn't teams that were being separated; The Thunder Legion was still together. But every girl that had a bracelet was being separated from the person that gave it to her.

Of course. Mira deviously using the Bro Code protection against them.

"Ugh, fine. Well, Droy."

"Max."

"Kinana."

"Warren."

And on it went until all members were separated equally, taking their position across the gym behind a midline so that no one had a ball collection advantage. The balls were lined up down the middle, foam and ragged from past years.

"I hope you're ready for this," Laxus said to Mira, legs at the ready to rocket forward.

"Born ready, sweetheart."

Master stood on a volleyball referee stand at the mid wall of the dojo. He took a breath in sync with the occupants of the whole gym… and then blew the whistle.

All the members were a streaks of blue and gold as they bolted toward the midline, where the dodgeballs were soon snatched. Thanks to her training, Lucy was only barely able to dodge the balls instantly chucked her way. When she ran to the back of her side, she watched, open mouthed, as ninjas jumped and twirled and threw with deadly accuracy. Jet and Droy had some certain move where Jet fipped up on Droy's shoulders, where he was spun for a momentum-loaded shot that knocked Loke off his feet. The Thunder Legion were in a battle formation that she'd witnessed them practicing in the dojo. A weaving and blocking pattern that kept them from being jailed and got them a few shots in every second.

But Mira was a terrifying force of her own. Nothing could touch her, and no shot could miss. The way she moved required flexibility so that Lucy didn't even want to consider how much training it must've taken.

Erza was ordering formations, walls of defense covering her and Cana as they chucked volleys of balls towards Lucy's side. Natsu, on Laxus' side, was cackling, ducking and weaving, aiming for the space between defenders to try to get Erza or Cana out. Perhaps they all thought hitting Mira was a long-lost cause.

Lucy decided to play safe for her first time, and take the job of trying to throw balls to her teammates that had been jailed. She didn't think she had any chance of hitting one of these monsters, but she knew she could throw far with the new, visible muscles she'd developed. Besides, no one saw her as a threat, so surely no one would bother to hit-

-and a foam projectile caught her right in the gut as she was about to throw to Droy.

Lucy coughed and doubled over. Man, she hadn't considered how much a hit would hurt from these guys.

"Hey!" Natsu was shouting, throwing a ball at Gray's head. "You hit her, you douchenozzle!"

"Well, that's kinda the point!" Gray shouted back, smacking Natsu in the face with his own ball. "She's on the other team and she was wide open, dipshit!"

"You hurt her!"

"Look, she's fine! All of these balls hurt!"

And, as Mira had probably predicted, the two boys threw their balls aside and began to brawl.

They were hit by an entire army of dodgeballs.

As they sat grumpily in her team's jail, Lucy saw Mira walk up and give the boys a wink. "You know, a Fairy Tail ninja should know better than to play right into the enemy's hands."

From the enemy lines, Lucy could hear Laxus groan in defeat.

With his distraction of rolling his eyes in exasperation of Natsu and Gray, Mira took the chance to nail her 'maybe boyfriend' in the face. From there, the game was swiftly decided. Master handed the shiny, tall dodgeball trophy to Mira, who they'd hoisted atop shoulders and paraded around the gym with whoops and cheers. Lucy was laughing, beginning to enjoy the feeling of victory and amusement at the scowling faces of Laxus' team and the sweat of hard won game trailing down her face.

But the greater victory came when Master shouted, "Hit the showers!"

Finally, she saw Natsu's grin return, and she ran to him. "Shall we get in some 'training'?" she hinted with what she felt was a crazy smile.

"Wouldn't miss it," Natsu answered, eyes alight as he hungrily watched the Fairy Tail members stream into the locker rooms.

The partners merrily walked to the punching bags, where they wrapped their hands and began to pummel. Really, they were both keeping their eyes on the locker room doors. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting-

A bloodcurdling scream.

"Music," Natsu purred. "Ah, sweet music…"

It was followed by more shouts and swears, the sound of pounding feet. The few dojo members from town that had been practicing looked up in alarm. Jumping to his feet from where he'd been meditating, the Master ran to the center of the gym. There was shaking and pounding on the doors; Lucy looked to Natsu with a raised eyebrow, at which his grin grew impossibly wider. "I rigged the locks."

After about five more minutes of shouting and cursing and Master trying to open the doors with every key on his belt, the doors were finally broken off their weak hinges with combined force. Members began pouring out of the locker rooms, followed by a flood of deep, red liquid that spread across the floor like a horror movie. Lucy blanched and blushed all at the same time; she hadn't considered the amount of people that would escape in enough terror to not put… hardly any clothes on.

Of course, Gray was stark naked. But Natsu rushed over and covered her eyes with his hands before she had to bleach her eyes too much.

They were covered in red liquid, and Droy gasped, "B-blood! Master, blood coming out of the shower heads! And they won't turn off once we turned them on!"

"In the girls' room too!" Laki said with a squeak, pulling her damp shirt further down to hide her purple, lacy underwear.

The look of sheer horror on Master's face made Natsu and Lucy slap a hand over each other's mouths to hide their laughter; they both hid behind a punching bag.

Gray nodded as Laxus tore of his shirt and insisted that the naked boy would 'cover your white ass'. "Y-yeah! Started right away and sprayed everywhere and-" A drop of the 'blood' had streamed down from Gray's soaked hair and to the corner of his mouth. Stopping mid-sentence, Gray's tongue darted out, and his dark eyes widened. "G-guys…"

"Wait…" Levy said as well, touching the liquid on her hands. "It's thicker than usual, but it's not… this isn't blood…"

"Kool-Aid?!" Bisca correctly guessed in disbelief. "Wh-what the hell?! Who made Kool-Aid come out of the shower heads?!"

"A piece of shit that's gonna die, that's who!" Loke cursed, flicking sticky drink from his arms.

"It has to be someone that didn't come into the locker rooms!" Erza said firmly. "Who didn't…?"

All at once, the members slowly turned their heads to see Natsu and Lucy peeking out from behind their punching bag shield.

Natsu gave a weak wave. "H-hey. Thought you guys might be thirsty…"

Lucy backed away as an entire guild of trained ninjas stared with their eyes gleaming almost red with malicious intent.

"Run?" suggested Lucy hopefully.

"Yep!" Natsu said, and they took off towards the back nets.

With a battle cry, the guild members, mostly naked and drenched in Kool-Aid, charged after them. Lucy gave a squeak of terror as Natsu helped her scramble up the rope net wall and to the ceiling netting. They were followed and random stray dodgeballs thrown so that they had to roll and leap to the side to avoid them. The ninjas were right behind.

"Time for plan T!" Natsu shouted as he raced to the other wall by the front doors.

"I don't see how 'take 'em by storm' will work in this situation!" Lucy called back as she jumped aside to avoid a blue ball.

"No, T for Tarzan!"

"What-AH!"

Lucy shrieked as Natsu grabbed her around the waist and made a running leap through one of the openings in the net, where he snatched a hanging rope. He swung the rest of the way with a Tarzan-like cry. Natsu landed with his knees bent, holding Lucy with an arm under her legs and another under her arms. After he set her down, they kicked open the doors and took off towards the guild hall with an angry battalion behind them. Bursting through the front doors of the guild, the partners ran, laughing their hearts out, to the forest, where they tried to lose their Kool-Aid crazed friends in the brush.

"Jump in the stream!" Natsu told her. "Laxus will lose your scent, if you do!"

"Right!" While she would usually protest, she was in need of some cool water anyway, and so she leapt into the running water ahead. It was a cold shock, but welcome, and Natsu jumped in after her. The two let themselves be carried by the current, past stones smoothed by the years, past any worries that could follow them until a small decline left them lightly in a pool. A waterfall came from an outcropping to the side of them, and a small stream continued on. But here they stayed, swimming through the cold water to the waterfall.

With a content sigh, Lucy removed her shirt to stand in her sports' bra under the stream of clear water that left a chilling and fresh trail down her spine. Natsu's gym shirt followed hers as he shook his head under the falls, sending droplets flying. Water flowed down his body, tantalizingly shimmering against his taut, tan skin. His eyes were closed, water dripping from from his cheeks, chin, sharp jaw. This would have been attractive. If she were attracted to him. Which she wasn't. At all.

They moved to sit in the small cave beneath the falls, watching the world darken around them, talking, swimming, sitting in silence, sleeping curled in each other's warmth until the morning light.

Which was when they were finally found and dragged back to the guild hall for a lynching.

* * *

 **Yo peeps!**

 **It's been a while! If you don't remember, this event takes place around the time a little before chapter 13 in TKOF. This is out of the timeline for these oneshots, but the story from TKOF of why Kool-Aid is banned from Fairy Tail bathrooms was requested. I couldn't resist! This one is for shippersarus on tumblr, who requested a TKOF oneshot. I already had this partway written, so I took a break from my Inuyasha fic to write it up for ya. Happy late birthday!**

 **I have more birthdays to write these for, so stay tuned! I'll explain why Natsu had money problems in chapter 28 with my next oneshot, and there will be a chapter for each of the Nalu children! Also, a Gajevy omake.**

 **I'll be finishing up Double Dad Dilemma soon, after which I'll continue The Way We Smile and Unraveling. Before that, though, I'll post my Inuyasha multichap. I want to have it all written up before I post so that I don't have another unfinished multichap. Don't you fret; it won't be too long!**

 **Mizpah,**

 **~LoneStorm**


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